Can We Still Be Friends?
by calicoskies4ever
Summary: This is a semiprequel to Heroes and Villains. ClarkLex break up song fic. Lyrics by Todd Rundgren.


This is a semi-prequel to Heroes and Villains. Clark/Lex break up song fic. It's a little confusing with the POV shifts, but any time you see song lyrics you know it's going from Lex to Clark or Clark to Lex. Probably only going to be one chapter unless you guys cry out for more.

_We can't play this game anymore_

_But can we still be friends_

_Things just can't go on like before_

_But can we still be friends_

"Where were you last night?" Lex asked, already fully aware of the answer. Despite the alibi Lionel had provided, the younger Luthor knew that the Kent boy had not been at his family farm for dinner, and he certainly wasn't eating pot-roast when 33.1 went Kaboom.

Lex had known for sometime now that things between them would not—could not work. He had Clark hardly had anything in common any longer. He'd grown up, changed, but Clark was the same person he'd always been.

The only thing that had held them together this long, was the sex, and even that had lost the passion it once had. The spark was gone. It had been over for months, but neither he nor Clark had the courage to make things official.

_We had something to learn_

_Now it's time for the wheel to turn_

_Grains of sand, one by one_

_Before you know it, all gone_

Clark knew he didn't need to answer. Lex had only even bothered with the formality of asking in the hopes that he would be able to catch any lie that came out of his lover's mouth.

Another set of lies would be the prefect excuse for ending their relationship, and Clark had noticed that Lex had been trying to end things for over a year. The past six years of Clark's life were spent under the thinly veiled delusion that if he just loved Lex enough, he would change.

Unfortunately, his father had been right all along. There was no good inside of Lex Luthor, not now, maybe not ever. Clark knew he didn't have to say anything, and that if he attempted to lie Lex would call him on it. So he did the only thing he could do. He let it end.

_Let's admit we made a mistake_

_But can we still be friends_

_Heartbreak's never easy to take_

_But can we still be friends_

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Clark said and Lex felt his smile fading. He had hoped Clark would at least try to lie about his whereabouts. If Clark had done that then Lex might have let him slide one last time, and things could have continued as they were. Lex was by no means satisfied or content with the way things had been going lately, but at the same time he knew that Clark Kent was the last person who would ever really love him.

Giving him up would mean accepting the fact that he world never again find himself in a fulfilling relationship. Nothing would ever be as good as the time he and Clark had spent together in Smallville. Even though he had seen this coming it still hurt, and Lex hated himself for that. Lex knew he could have ignored the comment.

He knew he could let Clark slide one last time, but he'd already done that before. He had Clark had been through at least a thousand, "last chances," had said, "Only one more kiss," a million more. Lex didn't think he would have the courage to send Clark away the next time. He wasn't sure he was strong enough.

Part of him had hoped that Clark would admit to what he had done and then would have added an apology. If he had done that, Lex would have been able to forgive him, but he hadn't. He didn't even try. Lex knew that nothing would ever be the same between them. All the things he had grown accustomed to, all of the good things in his life were disappearing. That was the way it always went, and Lex accepted this as a fact of life.

"I think you should leave now," he said, knowing that the tone in his voice was enough to add, "and never come back," yet he found himself telling Clark the second half of the message all the same.

_It's a strange, sad affair_

_Sometimes seems like we just don't care_

Clark heard the words leave Lex's mouth, and he instantly felt his heart shatter. No matter how long he had prepared himself for the end, no matter ho many times he thought it's over, no matter what he told himself, nothing could have made him ready for this pain. Clark had sworn that he wouldn't beg or apologize but he couldn't help himself.

Getting on his knees on the floor beside his lover's desk, Clark Kent looked up at Lex Luthor with tears in his eyes. He tried to think of something eloquent to say, but no words came to him.

"Lex. Please," was about all that the managed to squeeze out before the tears came and Lex had a security guard help him out of the mansion. Once outside, Clark took some time to calm down before going home. At least, that was what he told himself he was doing. In reality he was checking in on Lex, looking to see if he was okay.

Clark stood in the same spot for hours. He stared into the Luthor home, with tears streaming down his face. Clark was sure that if Lex had not gotten up and left the office to go to bed, he would have stayed in that very same spot forever.

_Don't waste time feeling hurt_

_We've been through hell together_

Lex had not cried in his office that afternoon. He had wanted to, but the intense training his father had put him through kicked in, and try as he might the tears would not come. When he had first heard the description of the young man at the warehouse, he couldn't believe it had really been Clark.

That wasn't even a possibility in his mind. The guard was wrong. Or maybe he had only looked a little bit like Clark Kent. There were plenty of tall, muscular brunettes in the world. It couldn't have been the Kent boy, and if it had been Lex would have given up everything he had to change the facts. He would have done anything to make it not so.

When Clark left without more than a handful of tears and a pathetic plea, Lex had gotten angry. After four glasses of scotch, the pain in Lex's chest had become too much and Lex succumbed to his tears. As he lay in bed that night, however, he knew he had suspected for almost two years now. Lex Luthor and Clark Kent just weren't meant to be.

The relationship had been flawed from the start and now that it was really over he almost felt relieved. Part of him still loved Clark, and he was fairly certain it would always be that way. Lex fell asleep that night; sure that he had done right, and regretting nothing.

_Can we still get together sometime?_

_You know life will still go on and on and on_

Clark stayed up all night trying to come up with a plan that would win Lex's heart back, but as the first rays of morning shown into the loft, the next day, he still had nothing. He couldn't even beg Jor-el to turn time back so he could make a different choice. That had been a one time only offer.

Clark knew it would be all too easy to hate Lex Luthor. If they hated each other there would be no problem, but he couldn't do that. He couldn't even bring himself to be angry with Lex. He still loved him, and over the next month, Clark continued to try and prove his love, with chocolates, flowers and even a love letter or two, but nothing worked, and eventually Lex even moved to Metropolis to get away.

It was over. Clark could hardly believe it himself but it was really over. Never again would he collapse into a fit of giggles after hearing the expression, 'drive slower." There would be no more excursions to the mansion whenever Lionel came sniffing around the farm, looking for Martha. He wasn't even sure how long it would be before he could hear the name Luthor without crying.

And the worst part of the whole thing was that Clark couldn't even push Lex out of his life. He was going to need to keep an eye on that man for all eternity. Having to watch the love of your life destroy themselves is difficult enough. Having to do that, all the while knowing that the very same person hates you, is enough to break your heart a million times over. This, Clark new, was exactly what he had to look forward to, where Lex Luthor was concerned.

_We awoke from our dream_

_Things are not always what they seem_

_Memories linger on_

_It's like a sweet, sad old song_


End file.
